Sheet-feeding apparatus.



A. B. DICK.

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS.

rum-r101! FILED JAN. 4, 1911.

Patented Fe b.25,191 3,-

ATTORNEY WITNESSES A. B. DICK.

SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 4. 1911.

ATTORNEY BEST AVAHMECOPY ALBERT B. DICK,

OF LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOA. B. DICK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

SHEET-FEEDING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 4, 1911.

To all u'lwm'z't may concern:

Be it known that I, :\LBERT B. DICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lake Forest in the county. of Lake and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Impmvements in Sheet-Feeding: Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for feeding sheets successively from, a pile to any suitable mechanism which is to'operate upon the sheets, such for instance as a printing or folding machine.

The object of the invention is to effect certain improvements in the'construction of apparatus of this character whereby itis made more reliable and etlicient in its operation and can be used-in feeding paper of varying weights.

The invention involves sheet feeding apparatus of the t vpe in which one sheet of a pile is buckled to detach it from the other sheets and when so detached is fed from the pile.

One feature of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby all the sheets of the pile are given an initial buckle, so that the mechanism for buckling one sheet at a time may operate more readily and with greater reliability.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby the extentof the sheet which will be buckled may be determined and whereby these determining devices may be adjusted to vary the'area of the sheet which will be subjected to the.

buckling, this construction being of particular utility in adapting-the machine for use with paper of varying weights.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for guarding against the feeding of two or more sheets at a time. this being such that if the buckling devices buckle more than one sheet, the second sheet Wlll bev held against withdrawal "from the pile and will thereafter be caused to assume its initial position upon the pile.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which F'gure 1 is aplan view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3"is a vertical section on line 3 of Fig.

1, and Fig.4 is a similar. section on line- H of Fig.1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

Serial No. H.688.

Referring to these drawings, the machine consists of a base 1 upon which are erected side-frames 2 and 3 between which most of the parts of the machine are mounted A sheetfeeding roller 1 mounted for rotation in bearings 'formed in the side-frames. this roller consisting preferably of sections of rubber corrugated in the L direction, of

their length mounted upon a suitable supporting shaft.

Rotating in a bearing in the side fran1e 2 1s a shaft 5 upon the outer end of which is mounted an operating handle 6. 0n the inner end of shaft 5 is a gear 7 meshing with an idler gear 8, whichmeshes with a gear 9 mounted upon a shaft 10 which is rotatable in bearings formed in the side-frames. Gear 9 meshes with a gear 11 carried by a stub shaft on tlre side-frame .ZQWhich gear meshes with a \ginion 12 on the shaft 4. Thus by turning the handle 6 the sheet-feeding roller t will be continuously rotated, but it is to be understood that any other form of driving mechanism may bc employed as desired. I I

Extending between the sid "frames is a plate 13 from the forward edge of which depends a vertical wall 14. Avertically movable stop plate 15 is mounted upon the wall .14 so as to be movable thereon, and for this purpose is provided with screws 16 extend ing through vertical slots 17 in the wall 14. A spring or springs 18 are arranged to act upon the movable stop plate-15 so as to raise that plate when such raising movement is permitted by the parts hereinafter described. The upper edge of plate 15 is provided with a forwardly extending lip or flange 19.

Extending between the sideframes and journaled in bearings therein is a roekshaft 20 and secured to each end of this shaft is an arm 21. The outer ends of these arms are pivotally connected to the vertically movable all 15 near the lower edge of the latter. Also secured to shaft 20 adjacent to the side-frame 2 an arm 22 the upper end of which carries a roller 23 which rides upon the periphery of the cam 52% securedupon shaft 10. so that as handle 6 is turned the stop plate 15 will be moved vertically in accordance with the contour of the cam 24L The support for the sheet pile is shown at 525' and is provided with suitable side guides 26 and an end guide 27., This support is mounted upon a rocking frame Qonsistmg of a rod 28, a strip 29 secured thereon and means at the ends of rod 28 for' pivotally mounting the r'od' upon the side'frames of the machine. "the side-frame 2 rod 28 is secured to a le Adjacent to yer 'pivotally mounted at 31 upon the side-frame 2. *At the opposite side of machine the end of rod 28 is secured to an arm whichis pivotally mounted upon the sideframe 3 upon the aXisBl. T'hesupport 25 is-provided with claws straddling the 'rod 28- and rests upon the ends of the strip 29 so that it is rocked when rod 28 is rocked.

On lever 30 is a handle 32 projecting through a slot in the side-frame 2 whereby the support 25 may be manually rocked, as

facilitatepositioning a new sheet pile.

for instance, to depress the end thereof to At its free end the lever 30 is connected by a in and: slot connection to one end of the ll-crank lever 32 pivotally mounted at 33 upon the side-frame 2 and having at its j opposite end a roller 34 bearing upon the periphery of the cam 35 which is secured upon the. shaft 10 adjacent to the cam 24. The pivot 31-for the lever 30 is extended through the side-frame2 and forms a pivotal support for an arm 36 which is connected to one end of the spiral spring 37 the opposite end of which is connected to an abutment on the base of the machine.

The lever 30 is provided with an angular extension 38 (Figs. 1 and 2), in which is an opening to receive a screw 39, the endof which is secured to the arm 36. On the screw 39 is a thumb nut 40. Thus by turning the thumb nut- 10 the arm 36 maybe moved toward or away from the extension 38 extending or contracting the spring 37, so that the tension of the. spring upon the. carriage or papersupport 25 will be adjus'ted so as to increase or diminish the ten sion tending to raise the edge of the sup port 25 underlying the feeding roller 4.

The ends of the shaft 10 are extended through their hearings in the sideframes 2 and 3 and have cams 41 secured thereto.

' With each of these cams co-acts a roller 42 carried by a bell-crank lever43 pivotally -mounted upon the side frame ofthe machine. The opposite I ends of these bellcranks are slotted to receive trunnions 4-1 -11pon afpresser-plate 45 which normally the sheets to he flat thereon.

rests upti'n the top ofthe sheet pile to cause The trunnions 44 areformed upon arms 46 extending forwardly from the plate 45 at opposite sides integral upwardly extending flanges 17; the flangeon one of these arms is provided with a series of openings andthe flange on the other arm is provided with a series of notches which are spaced to correspond with the openings 50, and a rod 49 is adapted to of the pile of sheets. These arms 46 have.

extend between thc'arms 46 and to have one end thereof received in one of the openings 50 and the other end in one'of the notches 48. To retain this end of the 'rod in lies it. I

Extendil-igbetween the "side frames of the machine is a ioching shaft 55, upon which are arms 56 supporting a roller 57' lying directlyabove the sheet feeding roller 4. At one end of shaft is a downwardly extending. arm 58 adapted to meet with a cam 59 secured upon the shaft 10. A spring -60 holds arm 58 in contact with cam 59.

The operation of the machine as thus constructed will now be described.

By depressing the inner end of the feed board or support 25 by means of the handle 32 a pile of sheets may bemounted upon the feed board with the forward edge of the pile bearing against the stop plate 15. Releasing handle 232, spring 37 willrock the feed board until the top sheet of the pile is carried into engagement either with the lip or flange 19, or with the roller 4. The tension with which this edge'of the sheet pile may be pressed upwardly thus can be adjusted as dcsired by turning nut. 40. By] reason of the presence of the strip 54-the pile (if-sheets will be given a slight initial buckle'since near the edge of the pile the sheets will be pressed down upon the feed board by the flange 19 and roller 4, and upon the opposite side of strip 54 the sheets will be held down upon the feed "board by the rod 49 and plate 45. By turning the handle 6 the roller 4. will be rotated in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 4 and the rubber of the roller will grip the top sheet of the pile and u'itlidrawthe edge of that sheet from under the lip 19, buckling the sheet in rear of roller it, and between that roller and the rod 49 in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. This buckling operation is greatly facilitated by the strip 54 for the reason that the sheets are already given aninitial buckle before being operated upon by the roller 4. The continned rotation of roller at moves thesh t until its edge passes from under the rol er and is carried around with the roller until it passes over the upper surface of the roller and between it and the roller 57. These two rollers are then rotated to feed the Sheetfortaken up "by othermechani'sm not shown.

J net as the sheet begins'to move between the rollers & and 57. the cams 41 act upon the bell-cranks 1 to raise the plate -15 and rod 49,. so '.'-that these parts will not resist the forwarding movement of the sheet. By ref ereneeto Fig. 3 it will be noted that whilethe edge of the sheetis moving upwardly -movement of the second sheet is precluded by flange 19 on the stop plate 15. After rotation of roller '-l sutlieient to insure the requisite buckling of the top sheet, the cam Ql 7 operates to lower plate until the flange 19 20 the forward edge of the second sheet of the comes downupon the sheet pile, gripping pile and thus preventing that sheetfrom eing further buckled by the rotation of roller 4. The edge of the second sheet is thus held, due to the downward pressure of the flange 19, and the upward pressure of the underlying edge of the feed board 25. During further rotation of the roller t, cam 35 will operate through the bell-crank 32 to depress the forward edge of the support for 'the sheet pile againstthe tension of spring 37, so that the paper upon the support 25 will be carried out of engagement with 'roller 4. Flange 19, however, does not move downwardly with the underlying edge of the support 25 throughthe full movement of the support 25, due to'the shape'of the cams vBa'rand 24; as a result of this, after the sheet pile has been carried out of engagement with roller 4, the sheet whose edge is held by flange 19 is released. and it this .sheet'has been partially buckled.- as indicated in Fig.

'3, it will imtuediatctv drop to its initial po- S1t10ll bearing at'all points thereon upon the sheet underlying it. it willthus he :(Qlltllttt each operation ofthe machine consists-in buckling the top sheet. PtHlLlll V buckling the second sheet. grippin; the second sheet to prevent its witlnlrawal from the machine. feeding the top sheet from the pile. and at'ter the pile has'lwcn movcd out of contact with the roller, rclca in;- the second sheet so as to allow it to flatten out and assume its initial position read) to llL l'cd 't'rom'tln machine at the next operation than-cot. 'lhc provision for adjustment of thc posltlt'n ot' the rod 49 aids materially in adapting the machine for u-c with paper (littering in weight. for this rod -I. :"CIWLS as a meansfor deter- .mining the ext nt oil tho sheet which will he buckled.

paper. the area ot'the sheet which should he suluect'ed to the buckling operation should It will. he so. u that the buckling" be smalland rod 49 would therefore be placed close to the roller 4.. For heavier paper the rod should be placed further back so that the curve of the'buckled portion of the sheet would hoof much greater radius. Having now described my invention. what- I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: Y

I l. The combination of a pivoted support for a sheet pile. a sheet-feeding roller over lying one end of the support and adapted to coact with the top sheet of thelpile. means for rotating said roller on its axis to buckle the top sheet of the pile at one end thereof and carry said end over the roller. a forwarding roller coat-ting with the upper surface of said roller, means for rocking said support at regular intervals in the rotation of the sheet-feeding roller. a member cxtotaling across the top of the sheet pile and adapted to contact therewith to detern'iine the extent of the .buckle of the top sheet. means for adjusting the position of said mcmbcr toward and away from the sheet-feeding roller. and meansfor moving said mcmhcr to carry into and out of contact with the top of the pile at 'regularintervals in the rotation of said sheet-feeding roller, substantially as set forth.

The combination of a pivoted support for a sheet-pile, means for giving an initial buckle to all the sheets of a pile on said support. a sheet-feeding roller. means for rocking said support. to carry the top' sheet of the pile into engagement with said roller means for rotating said roller to buckle the top sheet of the pile and tced it from the. support. a member liearingupon the sheetpile to determine the extent of the sheet to be buckled by said roller. and means for supporting said member in various positions of adjustment toward and away from tho roller. substantiall as'set forth.

1K. The combination of a pivoted support tor a sheet-pile. means for rocking the same. means for giving an initial buckle to all the sheets of a pile on said. support. meansfor .successiicl v buckling the top IllO sheet of the pile and fer-din; it from tlio support. a member bearing upon the top oi thepile and dctcrmii-iing the extent of the sheet. to he buckled. mcans for supporting! said member in various positiono'f adjustllitllll tlllll mcankt'rr l'2ll lll l' said member each time a'shcet is led from the support. -ulis tantially as set forth.

.i The combination of a support for a sheet-pile. a sheet-feeding roller coacting with the top of the pile adjacent to one end thereof. means for turning tllll roller on its axis in contact with the stop sheet of the pile to buckle it and feed it over the feeder. a movable holding device. mcaus for moving .the rilllN into contact with the second sheet roller is operating on the top sheet to hold the second sheet from being buckled by the roller, and means for releasing the second sheet to allow it to flatten on the pile, substantialiy as set forth,

iced said edge over the roller, means for "gripping said edge and forwarding the Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,054,613

sheet, a movable holding device, means for moving the same into contact with the second sheet of the pile adjacent to said edge while the roller is operating upon the top sheet to hold the second-sheet from being buckled by the roller, and means for: releasing the second sheet to allow it to flatten on the pile, substantially as set forth.

(3. The combination of a pivoted support for a sheet-pile, :1- sheet-feed ng roller coact ing with one end of the pile on said support, means for rotating said roller on iisaxis to buckle a sheet and then feed its end over the roller, means for gripping said end of the sheet and forwarding the sheet, a stop member, means for moving the stop member into engagen'ient with said end of the [scan] sheet pile when the latter is in coaction with the roller to grip and hold the second sheet, and means for rocking said support to carry the pile thereon out of contact with the roller and said stop member, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a pivoted support for a sheet-pile, a sheet-feeding roller coacting with one end of-the pile on said support, means for rotating said roller on its axis to buckle a sheet and then feed its end over the roller, means 'for gripping said end of the sheet and forwarding the sheet, a stop member, means for moving the stop member into engagement with said end of the sheet pile when the latter is in connection with the .roller to grip and hold the second sheet,

means for moving said stop member and said support together to carry the pile on the support out of contact with said roller, and means for moving said support independently of the stop member to carry the pile on the support out of contact with said stop member. substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 29th day of December, 1910.

ALBERT B. DICK. lVitnesses:

M. H. BURKART, W. G. Anson).

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,054,637, granted February 25',

provement in Sheet-Feedin g Apparatus, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 126, for the word stop read top; and page 4, line 46, for the word connection read emotion; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case inthe Patent Oflice. I i v Signed and sealed this 1st day of April, D., 1913.

G. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patnts.

.1913, upon the application of Albert Diek,.'of Lake Forest, Illinois, for an im-.

roller is operating on the top sheet to hold the second sheet from being buckled by the roller, and means for releasing the second sheet to allow it to flatten on the pile, substantialiy as set forth,

iced said edge over the roller, means for "gripping said edge and forwarding the Corrections in Letters Patent No. 1,054,613

sheet, a movable holding device, means for moving the same into contact with the second sheet of the pile adjacent to said edge while the roller is operating upon the top sheet to hold the second-sheet from being buckled by the roller, and means for: releasing the second sheet to allow it to flatten on the pile, substantially as set forth.

(3. The combination of a pivoted support for a sheet-pile, :1- sheet-feed ng roller coact ing with one end of the pile on said support, means for rotating said roller on iisaxis to buckle a sheet and then feed its end over the roller, means for gripping said end of the sheet and forwarding the sheet, a stop member, means for moving the stop member into engagen'ient with said end of the [scan] sheet pile when the latter is in coaction with the roller to grip and hold the second sheet, and means for rocking said support to carry the pile thereon out of contact with the roller and said stop member, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a pivoted support for a sheet-pile, a sheet-feeding roller coacting with one end of-the pile on said support, means for rotating said roller on its axis to buckle a sheet and then feed its end over the roller, means 'for gripping said end of the sheet and forwarding the sheet, a stop member, means for moving the stop member into engagement with said end of the sheet pile when the latter is in connection with the .roller to grip and hold the second sheet,

means for moving said stop member and said support together to carry the pile on the support out of contact with said roller, and means for moving said support independently of the stop member to carry the pile on the support out of contact with said stop member. substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 29th day of December, 1910.

ALBERT B. DICK. lVitnesses:

M. H. BURKART, W. G. Anson).

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,054,637, granted February 25',

provement in Sheet-Feedin g Apparatus, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 126, for the word stop read top; and page 4, line 46, for the word connection read emotion; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case inthe Patent Oflice. I i v Signed and sealed this 1st day of April, D., 1913.

G. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patnts.

.1913, upon the application of Albert Diek,.'of Lake Forest, Illinois, for an im-. 

